Books for Christmas Part 6 - Cupcakes, Cult Recipes and Crafting Creations

Last year, we collected together some of our favourite cookbooks - and we mused on how a great cookbook can be a trusted friend in the kitchen - but the style has to be right. Recently there have been a spate of programs on telly about how important diet is to, well, almost everything. But if you need inspiration about new recipes and ways of eating, how about a new cookbook for Christmas?

Here are our favourite cookbooks - and a few other creative endeavours - to give you the inspiration to try something new in 2016.

Nopi: The Cookbook – Yottam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully (£28)
Ottolenghi is possibly the hottest chef right now, with his unusual background for a chef, and his reputation of combining the best of Middle Eastern flavours: Syrian, Turkish, Lebanese, Iranian, Israeli and Armenian. His is a positive story about a region of the world which has its fair share of troubles, and his cookbook 'Jerusalem' (with Sami Tamimi) is the closest a cookbook comes to a peace process in our opinion.

'Nopi: The Cookbook' includes over 120 of the most popular dishes from Yotam's innovative Soho-based restaurant Nopi. It's written with long-time collaborator and Nopi head chef Ramael Scully, who brings his distinctive Asian twist to the Ottolenghi kitchen. They range in their degree of complexity so there is something for all cooks. There are dishes that long-time Ottolenghi fans will be familiar with - a starter of aubergine with black garlic, for example, or the roasted squash with sweet tomatoes - as well as many dishes which will stretch the home cook as they produce some of the restaurant's signature dishes at home, such as Beef brisket croquettes or Persian love rice. It's inspiring and we have some signed copies in the shop.

The Book Of Spice – John O’Connell (£14.99)
Spices were once a rare and exotic thing with many varied uses. But now you pop to your local supermarket to get what you need, and we have perhaps forgotten what a marvel these things are.

The 'Book of Spice' introduces us to their properties, both medical and magical, and the fascinating stories that lie behind both kitchen staples and esoteric luxuries. Discover why Cleopatra bathed in saffron and mare's milk, why wormwood-laced absinthe caused eighteenth-century drinkers to hallucinate and how cloves harvested in remote Indonesian islands found their way into a kitchen in ancient Syria.

Spuntino: Comfort Food (New York Style) - Russell Norman (£25)
New York Cult Recipes – Marc Grossman (£20)
One of the great things about the shop is sometimes you get fantastic recommendations from customers - and 'New York Cult Recipes' by Marc Grossman is a wonderful collection of inspirational New York inspired food. From the Humble sunnyside-up egg (that’s fried egg to us) to Sloppy Joes and beautiful photography this is a small slice of the city that never sleeps.

This conversation came about because we have been recommending 'Spuntino', which is a totally fabulous collection of New York-inspired restaurant of the same name. Spuntino will take you on a culinary adventure from London to New York and back, bringing the best of American cuisine to your kitchen. The 120 recipes include zingy salads, juicy sliders, oozing pizzette, boozy desserts and prohibition-era cocktails. You'll get a glimpse of New York foodie heaven as Russell maps out his walks through the city's cultural hubs and quirky neighbourhoods such as East Village and Williamsburg, discovering family-run delis, brasseries, street traders, sweet shops and liquor bars.

We love New York, we love the inspirational food - so take a look at both these books for a great addition to your kitchen!

Hello Tokyo – Ebony Bizys (£14.99)
'Hello Tokyo' by Japanese blogger, crafter and designer Ebony Bizys is a cute and quirky guide to living a handmade lifestyle, inspired by Ebony's life in Tokyo. Capturing the charm, humour and originality of her eclectic and highly successful blog, Hello Sandwich, Hello Tokyo presents over 30 craft projects, as well as other tidbits and a peek into Japanese culture. Learn how to make hand-sewn cushions, charm necklaces, a memory walking book, corsages and a 'party-in-a-box' as well as handmade stationery including notebooks and envelopes, quirky post packages and gift tags, and much more.


Children’s Christmas Baking Kit – Usborne (£14.99)

Usborne have done it again with another brilliant cookbook for you littlies. This is everything they need to bake delicious cakes and biscuits for the festive season.

It comes with two cookie cutters and some specially designed cupcake cases and a book with twenty step by step illustrated simple Christmas recipes.


How To Knit – Mollie Makes (£16.99)
Ever wanted to knit but didn’t know where to start? Then this is the book for you, with basic patterns and easy step-by-step instructions you will be knitting before you know it and once you have mastered the basic two stitches you can make a gift for a loved one with patterns for a baby blanket, bouquet of woolly flowers or a cute bulldog puppy.

Bring your home up to date by making an on-trend footstool, plant pot or neon rug. Or wear your makes with pride - whether you go for a classic pair of socks, or a more daring pompom headband or loopy poncho. And if you want to know who knitted the little cat in the picture above - it was Julia in the shop!

Everyday Super Food – Jamie Oliver (£26)
Has there been one person who has had more of an impact on the nation's diet than Jamie? In 'Everyday Super Food', Jamie's done all the hard work for you - all you need to do is choose a delicious recipe, cook it up and, most importantly, enjoy it. Every meal in this book is a good choice that will bring you a step closer to a healthier, happier you.

The book is divided into sections by meals and each recipe gives you a breakdown of fat , sugar and calories etc so you can eat Smoothie Pancakes with Berries, Banana, Yoghurt and Nuts for breakfast, Tasty Fish Tacos with Game-Changing Kiwi, Lime and Chilli Salsa for lunch and Griddled Steak and Peppers with Herby-Jewelled Tabbouleh Rice for dinner, and still be healthy!

Handmade Christmas (£14.99)
Save money and have fun with this beautiful collection of Christmas makes. There are three chapters
covering a wide range of different crafting techniques - from papercutting and collage to embroidery and sugarcraft - with projects which take inspiration from different festive cultures and traditions. Start with Decorations, where you will find delightful ideas such as a traditional advent calendar and colourful embroidered Christmas stockings, brighten up your dinner table with tin candle holders that will glimmer and shine, and welcome carol-singers with a pretty wreath for your door.

The Hairy Bikers Blood, Sweat and Tyres: The Autobiography (£20)
Not quite cooking but they are possibly our favourite TV chefs and this is their new book about friendship, hilarious misadventure, love, life and family. From their humble beginnings in the north of England  where they both had their own childhood challenges to becoming the well loved TV duo who have quite literally eaten their way around the world. Heart-warming and funny treat for any Hairy Bikers fan.

Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food - Nigella Lawson (£26)
Part of the balance of life lies in understanding that different days require different ways of eating...'.  Whatever the occasion, food - in the making and the eating - should always be pleasurable.

'Simply Nigella' taps into the rhythms of our cooking lives, with recipes that are uncomplicated, relaxed and yet always satisfying. From quick and calm suppers to stress-free ideas when catering for a crowd, or the instant joy of bowl food for cosy nights on the sofa, here is food guaranteed to make everyone feel good. Whether you need to create some breathing space at the end of a long week, indulge in a sweet treat or wake up to a strength-giving breakfast, Nigella's new cookbook is filled with recipes destined to become firm favourites.

Simply Nigella is the perfect antidote to our busy lives: a calm and glad celebration of food to soothe and uplift. And the only thing better than that is a signed copy - so get them whilst we still have some!

Rocket parts and a cuckoo-clock heart - a dozen different reads for Valentine's Day

Ahh. Valentine's Day. It's easy to get a tad cynical as you spy shop windows full of helium-filled hearts, but it's also a marvellous excuse to buy a little gift for someone special.

We may be biased, but we think books hit the spot on that score. So just in case you are thinking of buying a gift for someone on Feb 14th, we’ve put together our usual list of quirky and off-the-wall suggestions.

‘The Boy With The Cuckoo Clock Heart’ is a wonderfully written gothic fairytale for adults by hugely talented French author (and singer) Mathias Malzieu. It tells the beautiful tale of Little Jack, born in Edinburgh on the coldest night the world has ever seen, with a frozen heart. To save him, a doctor replaces it with a cuckoo clock. Growing up, he is told neither to love or hate, for it would strain his ticking heart. But of course, he does fall in love, and that leads to a journey through the world to win the girl's affections.

Along the way, he meets all sorts of characters (including a girl with an eye that changes colour with the weather) and together they weave a fairy tale that makes you think of love, life and everything strange in between. It’s a lovely translation by Sarah Ardizzone – and is a lovingly-produced little hardback.

If you are looking for a genuinely feel-good fiction read, we heartily recommend ‘The Rosie Project’ by Graeme Simsion. It’s unashamedly sweet, clever and very funny.

Scientist Don thinks he can take a scientific approach to everything – from time management, calorie intake, work and exercise. He’s not so hot at the social skills, however, so he devises a ‘Wife Questionnaire’ he thinks will help him find the perfect partner. But when Rosie (who would answer all the wrong questions) seeks his help, he’s thrust into a chaotic and madcap world, from which he may never recover? And will he find the perfect wife? This has got to be the most fun rom-com of the year...

Mark thinks there's nothing more romantic than the stars. Well, let's be clear, what he means is 'space' - and this book, 'The Martian', published on 13th February, is already one of his favourite books of the year.

A life-threatening situation, a man stranded, a world watching agog as a high-stakes rescue mission looks to go horrible wrong. And most of the action takes place on Mars. Meticulously researched, and, yes, even a deep-space romance to boot, this is intelligent, accessible, exciting with possibly the most nail-biting lift-off ever written. The term 'tour-de-force' has become a cliché, but, honestly, we can't think of a better gift for anyone even vaguely interested on what it might be like to live on Mars with current technology.

If you yearn for some exotic travel slightly closer to home, and food is your idea of a romantic gift, we might as well declare that we are fans of the peculiar brand of British craziness and eccentricity which are ‘The Hairy Bikers’. They might have made a big splash with their dieting recently, but Dave Myers and Si King are still at their best on a good old-fashioned gastronomic road trip. And next week is the first in a six-part BBC series ‘Hairy Bikers' Asian Adventure’. We are seriously impressed with the tie-in cookbook, which takes traditional recipes from Hong Kong food stalls to Japanese temples, often giving them a genuinely British spin. We particularly love the Korean ‘kimchi’ recipes, which are both fun and extremely ‘in’ at the moment – and we have the book at £3 off in the shop.

So far so good - fairy tales, romance, food and interplanetary space travel. How about poetry?

There are probably no more than a handful of poets who put poetry into everyday life as brilliantly as Pam Ayres. Clever, wistful, wry and very, very funny, Pam definitely seems to get better with age, and in 'You Made Me Late Again' Pam is tackling subjects as diverse as your son leaving home for university, becoming a gran for the first time - and even the terrible consequences of a night out trying to recapture your youth.

We think this might be a lovely gift for anyone who declares that 'they are really too old for all this Valentine's nonsense'...

If a star is romantic, how about a whole constellation, or even a galaxy? In '30-Second Astronomy' the fifty biggest and most baffling discoveries in astronomy are explained in 30 seconds. This is a great dip-into book that provides plenty of inspiration and the latest thinking on how the universe works. So - if you are looking for a gift for a stargazer, and the idea of 'Dark Energy' sounds exciting (oo-er), then this might be the perfect Valentine's gift...

Back to fiction next, and author Deborah Moggach has followed up her huge success with 'Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' with 'Heartbreak Hotel'. 

Here we have Buffy - surprised to find he is glad to be on the run from too much gentrification from his home in London - and surprised how easily he slips into the rural life. He hits on a wheeze to fill his dilapidated B&B rooms by running 'courses for divorces', but ends up acting as a lonely-hearts, agony aunt for people who think they may have got a little too old to ever find someone to share their bed. It’s difficult to think of anyone who does this sort of 'social comedy for the third age' better. Bill Nighy as Buffy anyone?

Rainbow Rowell's 'Fangirl' is the story of Cath, who has to move out when she and twin sister, Wren, go off to university. But Cath would rather sit in her room and write 'Simon Snow' fanfiction than make friends. Her roomate, Reagan, and the always smiling Levi, won't let that happen, however, and slowly Cath learns to open up and admit that love doesn't just happen in books.

It's another remarkable and instantly easy to relate to story from Rainbow Rowell, author of 'Eleanor & Park', and it's a book that shows magic isn't just found in the pages of a fantasy, and that the story never ends with the last page...

And finally, if you like a good dose of reality with your love stories, 'Mrs Hemingway' by Naomi Wood provides it in a rich dose.

Ernest Hemingway is a struggling poverty-stricken writer and when rich and glamorous Fife appears on the scene it's not difficult for her to position herself in his life. But if he's so easily lured away, will Fife be able to hold onto him? A beautifully realised, real-life story of the four extraordinary women who will learn what it means to love the most famous writer of his generation.

(It also, incidentally, has one of the finest opening paragraphs you will read - setting up the book perfectly).

So that's nine books for you - want another three to round it up to a dozen? Then take a peek at our reviews of 'Life After Life' by Kate Atkinson, 'The Goldfinch' by Donna Tartt, and 'Longbourn' by Jo Baker.

And a big hug from us of course!